Joseph Smith and the Temple of Doom

Joseph Smith and the Temple of Doom
By Bill Schnoebelen

The discussion on the origins and spiritual content of the LDS temple endowment is entering a new phase.

However LDS apologists may protest to the contrary, all fair-minded people must admit that there are far too many resemblances between the Endowment and the rituals of Freemasonry to be explained as mere coincidence. (1) There is something lurking beneath the surface and we need to pull back the sheet!

Though the vast majority of Masons in the USA are probably professing Christians, it must be asserted that Freemasonry, itself, is a non-Christian religion with significant links to occultism and European Luciferianism. (2) Freemasonry is in great need of an open examination of its spiritual pedigree!

As a former Mason/Occultist, I joined the LDS Church in 1980 in the expectation that I was joining Jesus' true church. My background had led me to believe that His church would be a secret, pagan institution of great strength. It would outwardly appear very respectable and conservative, but beneath the veneer, it would actually be a reservoir of vast occult power.

My teacher, the highest ranking Witch in the USA and also a very high-level Mason, told us that the LDS church was a place prepared for witches and occultists to hide should the country's mood change to a conservative one. He told us that Mormonism had been founded by Lucifer to provide a hospitable cover where witches could hide themselves and promulgate their most cherished doctrines of spiritual evolution to godhood and a godhead which consisted of a Mother-Father pair. (3)

Thus we became Mormons, thinking we were following Jesus. Now as witches, we had been taught that Jesus was a Witch High Priest in the Melchizedek priesthood. Melchizedek, we were told, was a code-name for Lucifer, the Great Initiator. Even in public print, you will often find that the occultists speak of the concept of a Melchizedek priesthood. (4)

Our witch "Master" told us that the Mormon temple was an especially powerful place to go, as it had been designed to restore those ancient Masonic secrets that had been expurged from American Masonry. Indeed, he told us that there was an occult power to be had in the temple that could be achieved nowhere else - an indispensable step on our path to godhood. With this in mind, well proceed.

The Bible tells us that out of the mouths of two or three witnesses all things must be established. Mormons cite this scripture and believe it. Can we then go to the documents of Witchcraft, Masonry and Mormonism and establish some things? It must be borne in mind that witches and occultists are not as precise at record keeping as the LDS church. Quite the contrary! Some of their most "sacred" writings are closely guarded and unavailable to the public. Within these limitations, let us continue.

THE INITIATORY: In the LDS temple, we were clothed in a "Shield" identical to the shield used in our 2nd degree (priesthood) initiation ceremony in witchcraft, except that the LDS shield was white and the latter black. (5)

THE LDS AND SATANIC ANOINTINGS WERE THE SAME

We were anointed in an identical fashion to the way witches are anointed on initiation, save that the LDS temple workers are more discreet in their anointing of intimate areas. It is a very ancient custom to anoint people to protect them from demons. (6) Modern witches do this in the belief that demons will enter through any opening of the body.

Although Mormons contend, as do witches, that their anointing is a priesthood anointing, a simple study of Old Testament practices such as described in Leviticus (8:12ff), show that they are utterly different. Aaron is fully clothed here (vs. 7-9), so the anointing of all bodily orifices would have been impossible. (7)

THE GARMENT

Following the anointing of the initiates with water and oil, they are clothed in a special "Garment", which is to be worn, 24 hours a day, under their regular clothing. It is described to the initiate as "a protection from the destroyer". Significant to its obvious "spiritual powers" are special markings sewn in to the breasts, navel and knee.

Within the occult rituals of witchcraft, the practice of stitching markings on garments for protection is quite commonplace. (8) It was immediately apparent to me that not only were the markings from witchcraft and Masonry, but they were even on the right parts of the body!

In the higher levels of Masonry and Wicca, the Square, a Masonic implement, is taught to symbolize the phallic power of the Horned God or Lucifer, a masculine deity. In contrast, the Compass, another Masonic implement, is taught to be the symbol of the "Sacred Circle's secret point", the Goddess or Queen of Heaven. (9)

Now, these male/female polarities are central to witchcraft and most pagan cults. They are also a fundamental part of Qabalism (10), especially as it is expressed in the diagram known in English as "The Tree of Life" (see chart, page 4)

This is a fundamental diagram of western magic. It expresses the occult maxim, "As above, so below." (11) This means that the Tree represents both the Universe/God and the human anatomy.

The right side of the Tree is masculine and sacred to Lucifer - even as the square is stitched into the right breast of the LDS temple garment. Similarly, the left side of the Tree is feminine and so is the Compass stitched into the garment's left breast.

If that isn't enough, the Masonic 24 inch gauge (the symbol which seems to be over the navel on the garment) is sacred to the "Melchizedek priesthood" sphere of the tree, Tiferet, which is the central circle of the diagram and corresponds to the centre of the body. (l2)

THE SECRET NAME

The final step of the Initiatory entrance into the LDS ritual is the receiving of a Sacred Name, one that only the initiate and God will know. It is the name by which God will call forth the temple Mormon on the "Morning of the First Resurrection." In the Mormon ceremony, the husband is also told his wife's secret name so that he (not God) can raise her from the grave. She is forbidden to know his "New Name" and he forbidden to tell her.

The receiving of a secret name is also an important part of occult initiation. One principle of the magic arts is that to know a name is to have power over the one named. Thus, most Luciferian initiates will never reveal their new names to anyone. In the LDS ritual, the husband is given occult power of spiritual bondage over his wife. (13)

THE ENDOWMENT

It must be noted that much of what is said here is most obvious where the ceremony is performed live, rather than on film. The films now in use in most temples do save to dilute the occult impact of the endowment. I was "blessed" to see it for the first time, live, at the Salt Lake City temple.

The striking occult similarities I noted only served to confirm things my teachers had been telling me for years.

In the Salt Lake endowment (called this because it is the ritual in which you are endowed with the special knowledge and power needed to attain godhood), "Lucifer" walks in wearing the unofficial uniform of the Mormon priesthood, a black suit. He stands out in stark contrast to everyone else in the endowment, who are dressed in total white. From the standpoint of stagecraft, it definitely makes Lucifer the most important, outstanding performer. He also wears a blue apron, filled with Masonic markings, unlike the plain apron in the film version.

LUCIFER TEACHES THE DOCTRINES OF BOTH MORMONISM AND WITCHCRAFT

Lucifer proceeds to teach doctrine of both the LDS church and Wicca. After unsuccessfully tempting "Adam", he tells "Eve" several things that are most emphatically NOT in the Genesis account - crucial things!

He teaches that she must eat of the fruit because "Father" had done so before, and that was how he had gained his knowledge. The word, "Knowledge", is significant, for it refers back directly to the dangerous heresy of Gnosticism. GNOSIS, in the Greek, means "Knowledge" and the Gnostics, like all occultists, believed that there was some secret "knowledge" available only to a select few.

This was a knowledge by which they could reach a higher plane of existence and a higher degree of salvation. Although some LDS apologists speak kindly of Gnosticism and use its teachings to authenticate LDS doctrine, it was a deadly heresy plaguing the early church and condemned by the early Fathers and even in Biblical reference. (l4)

This teaching is the LDS doctrine called, "The Law Of Eternal Progression", the Mormon teaching that, "As man is, God once was and as God is, man may become."(l5)

Lucifer is not finished teaching Gnostic/LDS doctrine. He tells Eve that eating the fruit is necessary to comprehend that everything has its opposite, good and evil, pleasure and pain, etc. This is pure Gnosticism, found in their teaching of the celebrated Aeonic opposites, the Syzygies. (16) It is also LDS theology, found in the Book of Mormon (2Nephi 2:11f~)

This concept finds its logical conclusion in cults like the Russian sect, The Khylisti, who taught that one had to sin every possible sin in order to repent and attain salvation, a philosophy also taught in strains of Gnostic Manicheanism. (17)

Of course, Lucifer's teaching that God was once a man and that our destiny is to become gods is common to virtually all forms of occult and witchcraft teaching. (18)

THE APRON

It struck me odd that there was such a staged emphasis on the apron being a symbol of Lucifer's "power and priesthoods" during the LDS Ritual. It is said not only once but twice! Immediately following that disclosure, Lucifer instructs Adam and Eve (and all the temple patrons) to put on their own aprons. LDS defenders, to the minimal extent that they have dealt with this touchy issue protest that Lucifer's apron looks different from the green fig leaf aprons that Adam, Eve and the temple patrons wear.

THE APRON IS THE SYMBOL OF LUCIFER'S PRIESTHOOD POWER IN ALL THE SATANIC CULTS

In light of the occult symbolism, they miss the larger issue. The apron is THE symbol of Luciferian priesthood power in ALL satanic cults that I am familiar with. It is also worn in a myriad of forms in virtually all Masonic rites and also in many hermetic, magickal lodges and Rosicrucian orders. (19)

Actually, the green apron worn by the LDS "patrons" is much closer to the satanic ritual original than the blue one worn by Lucifer, which is a reasonable copy of a Past Master's apron. Green is the sacred color of Lucifer! In the groups of which I was a part, the Luciferian pontiff would no more conduct a ritual without his green apron than would a Catholic priest say Mass without his stole on! (20)

Green Alchemically relates to the planet Venus, the "Morning Star." Venus, we were taught, was Lucifer's planet, being closer to the sun and therefore of a higher vibration. Copper, the metallic symbol of Venus, turns green when tarnished. (21)

THE SECRET TOKENS AND GRIPS ARE IDENTICAL IN MORMOMISM AND MASONRY

For the Mormons to quibble about apron colors is misguided, for the shape and placement of the aprons are key. The apron is designed to cover only the intimate parts of the body, thereby causing titillation for the raising of Kundalini. (22) Of course, Lucifer's apron, the Satanic apron, the LDS temple apron and the Masonic apron are all the same shape and size, with much of the very same symbols!

TOKENS AND GRIPS

Much is made of the close resemblance between the grips, tokens, penalties and signs of the priesthood in the LDS temple and their Masonic counterparts. It is definite and unmistakable! There is even more than meets the eye. In Esoteric Masonry, we were taught that the grips had significance in terms of the eastern occult practice of acupuncture, a discipline from around 2100 BC. (23)

Both the grip of the Nail and the Patriarchal grip involve pressure points on the acupuncture meridian for sex and circulation. Pressure on any part of this meridian would follow along all the points of the meridian to the beginning meridian points, which are, in this case, the nipples. (24)

That's significant, since this is where two of the stitched marks are on the temple garment. It then extends over the nipple to the heart and then down to terminate at the navel. This is the place of the third Masonic stitching on the garment. (25) The entire meridian is classified as Yang, fiery hot, which fits perfectly with the solar/phallic character of Lucifer's power and priesthoods!

The meridian point for the Patriarchal grip is designated as one of acupuncture’s "Great Points." It is believed to have a profound impact on the psychosexual well being of a person. (26) In the craft, we were taught that this grip awakens latent sexual energies capable of bringing to pass certain alchemical changes in the reproductive system, which would lead to the grossest sort of necromancy.

This patriarchal grip is playing around with powerful occult forces. Pressure on this point (given through the veil, at the most significant point in the temple ritual) causes essential changes in one's psycho/sexual make-up.

Who can trust this ancient, pagan, methodology to do what it says it does, or could our delicate spiritual make-up be damaged by this kind of thing, even as it is by dubious practices like hypnosis?

The point in the "Sign of the Nail" is supposed to effect symptoms of convulsions, hiccoughs, and insanity. (27) In esoteric masonry, we were taught that this grip stimulates the hatred and rage necessary to work true black magic.

Lest anyone think that I am making too much of something here, let me remind anyone who has ever been through the temple frequently how carefully the temple workers are to make certain that the actual flesh of the wrist is touched by the finger in the Patriarchal grip. If there is nothing to this, why are they so concerned that it be done with extreme exactness?

To continue in the endowment, we approach the veil and are taught the "True Order of Prayer." This was done in virtually identical fashion to the way we worked Hermetic (mental) magick in our witchcraft circles, except for the fact that in Wicca, it was not a man, but the High Priestess who was in the center of a ring, and we certainly wore a LOT less clothing. The grips, however, were identical and the alternation of male/female was the same. (28)

THE VEIL

The veil is a concept central to occultism. The Tree of Life, mentioned above, is also a pattern for the levels of initiatic degrees in magic. As one progresses above 1st degree, he or she becomes more and more "godlike" until finally one hits the 7th degree. To progress beyond that point, you must pass through the veil into what is called the "Supernal Triad" of the Tree, the top three spheres. Past the veil, you have the ability to become a god or goddess. Imagine that!

Similarly, in masonry, the initiate must pass through the three "chambers" of King Solomon's temple, each one corresponding to a degree. These three chambers are similar to the three triads in the Tree of Life and the three floors in the old Mormon temples and three degrees of glory. When the Mason reaches the third degree he must enter the "Holy of Holies" of King Solomon's temple, which, again, had a veil before it.

Once a Master Mason, the candidate has the opportunity to become a god. Although most Masons in England and the U.S. are unaware of this, the esoteric degrees make man's godlike potential quite plain. Any temple Mormon will instantly recognize profound similarities between the schemata of the Tree of Life, the Masonic Temple, and the three levels of glory represented in the LDS temple. The resemblance is a bit too startling to be mere coincidence.

Ancient Gnosticism rears its ugly head here; for the Gnostics taught that there were also three levels of destiny for men. They are the Hylics or material ones, the Psychics or the soulish ones (both being under bondage to the lower powers) and finally the elite Pneumatics, who had the divine spark of the Logos within them. Sounds an awful lot like the way the Mormons believe things are going to end up, doesn't it?

"THE SIGN OF THE NAIL"

This grip was identical to the highest grip that I had learned in Luciferianism; as well as the grip of the Knights of Malta degree. (29) Satan, you see, is often referred to among high level witches and Satanists by the guarded code word: "The Nail." This title comes from the fact that nails caused so much pain to the Savior. This is why the grip is so highly regarded in Luciferian circles. (30)

THIS WAS THE SAME CHANT THAT I USED IN THE SATANIC BLACK MASS!

The "FIVE POINTS OF FELLOWSHIP" are identical to those used in the Druidic rite of witchcraft, and very similar to those used in other rites such as the Gardnerian/Alexandrian rites (31). The body positions (foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back and mouth to ear) are identical to that of Freemasonry.

There is also great significance in the method of communicating the 2nd "Name" of the Melchizedek priesthood. Passing a secret name or chant from mouth to ear is ancient magickal practice-reflected in the actual Hebrew word "Qabalah." It is a transliteration of the three Hebrew letters QBL and actually means "from mouth to ear." (32)

Finally, we come to the most disturbing evidence of all. Standing at the veil as a new "Temple Mormon," I was taught the 2nd priesthood "Name", and was astounded to see how closely it paralleled the blessing given at the end of the satanic black mass! I was familiar enough with it to be able to say it along pretty well the first time. The only difference was that the Mormons had substituted the word "loins" for an obscenity used in the satanic version! (33)

After we had finished our sealing (which was, by the way, quite similar to our witch handfasting), we walked around the outside of the temple and were intrigued to find inverted pentagrams over many of the archways, as well as phases of the moon and stars. The inverted pentagram in universally regarded among occultists as the symbol of Satan and evil (34). Many witches will not even use it, believing it can bring uncontrollable evil and perversion. More advanced witches believe that casting and invoking inverted pentagrams causes wealth, power, and the kingdom of Lucifer to be manifest through them, here on earth!

The phases of the Moon on the temple refer to the Moon-Goddess, Diana, the Queen of Heaven," consort of Lucifer, and Goddess of all witches (35). Jeremiah, the prophet, condemned Israel for honoring the Queen of Heaven (Jer. 7:18)! Witches closely watch the moon phases, as black magic is done in the dark of the moon, and white magic is done when the moon is waxing. The Sunstones are well-known symbols of the biblical idol Ba'al. Why would God want such things on what is supposedly "His house"?

There is the issue that some LDS scholars have raised: that these resemblances are there because Satanists have stolen them from the temple. Just to briefly deal with that, it is obvious that both Masonry and Acupuncture are much older than Mormonism. It is a matter of historical fact that Joseph Smith had access to Masonic material as early as 1820 (363. It is also known that he did not actually teach any part of the endowment ceremony until about five weeks after being made a Master Mason (37). If anyone stole anything from anybody, Smith would seem the more likely plagiarist.

The use of oaths and initiatic secrets, kept on pain of death, goes all the way back to the days before Christ. (38) The bad reputation of the inverted pentagram goes back at least to the 1590's, considerably before Joseph Smith (39). Talismans being stitched on garments for protection is at least that old (40). The wearing of sacred undergarments goes back as far as the Babylonian period when the initiates of the temple glorifying Nimrod's deification wore such items.

The Luciferian Grimoires (ritual books) are much more difficult to pin down because they are so jealously guarded. Most sources date books like the BLACK PULLET and the GRIMORUM VERUM (the source of several pieces of information given here) back to the 18th century, but this cannot be formally verified.

Nevertheless, the vast preponderance of evidence is that literally dozens of elements in the LDS temple endowment are either directly related to or derived from occult and satanic sources.

THIS EVIDENCE CRIES OUT FOR SERIOUS EXPLANATION

One or two similarities could be explained as coincidence, but these many cry out for a more serious explanation. Could it be that Satan chose Joseph Smith, a "glass-looker" and folk magician to be his point man on the continent of America?

Satan was more than able to get the necessary information into his hands, either by natural or supernatural means. Let us not forget that Smith was a medium of sorts. He may have gotten his revelations through psychic communion with demon spirits, the same way many celebrated occultists, like Mdm. Blavatsky, "brought through" their systems (41). It is a very safe assumption chat he didn't get them from the Biblical God of the universe.